On the Plus Side is a charming and uplifting story. I loved the message of embracing yourself and body positivity and found the story to be very empowering. Featuring a cute romance the story teaches us that love and self discovery go hand in hand. I loved this delightful read.

Love the fat rep in this book! It follows a woman who is stuck in her career and not comfortable being her full self. A reality show that is like “Queer Eye” meets “What Not to Wear” helps her regain her confidence and introduces her to an intriguing camera man.

This was a fun one but I wasn’t fully invested in the romance element. The drama with the reality show also felt a bit weird pacing wise. But the characters were interesting to read about and it made me wish a show like this existed in mainstream media.

(Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.)

'On the Plus Side' was a really quick and fun read from Jenny L. Howe! I enjoyed this book way more than her previous release 'The Make-Up Test'.

Everly is a really sweet and relatable main character. She is proud of who she is and she knows and embraces her fatness. Her courage to go on a reality TV show to prove she to herself that she can and inspire other fat woman to love themselves was so inspiring. That doesn't stop the insecurities and projection of her mother and colleagues from hurting her. It's just the reality for her, but she continues to live her best life. It's so refreshing to see stories about plus-sized women and have their stories distally focused on that aspect of their life. She's a fun and lively character that jumps out of the page and feels like a friend.

Similarly, her the main camera operator on set Logan is the sweetest man despite his serious exterior. He's a grumpy, lumberjack looking man that treats Everly kindly and champions her throughout the entire show filming process. They fall in love so authentically and genuinely as they get to know each other and share their vulnerabilities. I was really rooting for them!

All in all, this was a great read and I will continue keeping an eye out for Howe's work!

Thank you SMP for the opportunity to read and review this eARC!

Not only did this story give me all the warm and fuzzies and a MFC I couldn't help but to root for but it also gave me something so impactful - a fat/plus size character whose story does not boil down to "happiness through weight loss." This one is for all those girlies who've ever been told to that they are too loud, too much, too anything and who were...

Personally I don't put much stock into how similar to me the MC is - it's all about whether I'm invested in the story and the characters. And On the Plus Side made me care about Everly and her story. And I most certainly could relate to the overall topics of size and how our bodies are judged and discussed in the world. And I loved how the book explored these topics and Everly's journey. But of course, the romance arc was my favorite part. Prepare to develop a new book crush!

Grab this one if you're a fan of:
- Grumpy/sunshine
- super protective MMC
- reality show storyline
- healthy female friendships
- awesome fat rep

A huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, after multiple attempts I have been unable to get into this book. It felt very slow for me and the characters were not likable which made it hard to root for them and enjoy the story. Due to that I have decided to soft DNF the book and potentially pick it up at a later date.

If you want to read about obstacles and self love this book is for you. I would argue that this is considered more as women’s fiction than a romance, but it definitely has some steamy scenes.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. On the Plus side is a make over show that embraces women in larger bodies, rather than tries to change their body type. When the main character is chosen, she's ecstatic to meet her heros. But the show isn't what it seems and things start to get complex, and steamy. The characters are flawed but wonderful and this book wonderfuly helps to break the steroetypes of people in larger bodies!

So stinking cute. We love to see fat girl representation in romance! A great novel to follow up Howe's success with The Make-Up Test!

Everly’s life is turned upside down when she’s nominated for the newest season of a popular plus-sized makeover show. While the enthusiastic hosts work to bring her out of her shell, Everly finds herself quickly befriending the quiet, grumpy cameraman.

Everly is a delight from the very beginning of the book. I found her character to be exceptionally relatable. Her feelings about herself and those around her are portrayed authentically. The author does an excellent job conveying the societal pressures women of all sizes but especially fat women are forced to deal with. I appreciate the realistic dialogue and that she does not shy away from what can be considered a more sensitive topic.

This is the second book that I have read from author Jenny L. Howe and I look forward to reading her next release, How to Get a Life in Ten Dates, coming in December.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was cute, but Everly was hard to read at times. I enjoyed that she stands up for herself, finds self-confidence, and grows as a person but the journey there was filled with far too much self pity and it became frustrating at times to read. I want to relate to a character, and I do with Everly, but I also am seeking a bit of a release from life and I didn't find it as much as I wanted to in this book.

The reality TV show premise was cute and I liked the relationship between Everly and Logan.

I absolutely loved this book! As someone who is plus size, the topic of body image has always been sensitive for me. But after reading this book, I feel more confident and accepting of myself, regardless of my size. This story made me realize that your body shape doesn't define who you are. The main character was so inspiring and relatable. I enjoyed every moment of it. There were times when I burst out laughing and also moments when I was moved to tears. It's such an inspiring and touching story, yet it has a lighthearted touch to it. This book is perfect for anyone in the plus-size community who's looking to find self-love and confidence and to realize that they are truly amazing just the way they are! I've never felt more understood in my entire life. If you're part of the plus-size community and looking to overcome body image issues and insecurities to truly embrace life, then you need to read this.

Tell me “What Not to Wear” and I’m in! I don’t have TV anymore but I cannot express how much I loved that show. I even watched some daytime show when I was about to come home for lunch because Clinton Kelly was on it.

This was a getting to know yourself story that had all the feels and laughs. The “helpful” mom was so realistic (if you don’t agree, let me tell you some Stories with a capital S about my first MIL!) The least believable thing was Logan’s change from surly to sappy, but it worked in the bigger picture.

"to me, you're what matters." O.'
ugh this was just the sweetest thing! when i saw this on netgalley, i remembered seeing a tiktok about a scene from it and i instantly thought i would enjoy this book, and i'm so glad i was right!
everly was such a relatable character, as a fellow plus size babe, and it was really refreshing to see and understand where she was coming from with her struggles! the representation was *chef's kiss* phenomenal, and i love the concept of the tv show from this book, even if the director was a little sus •
but i thought that everly's journey was really inspiring and i loved seeing her grow back into her personality and chase her dreams! not to mention her romance with logan, who has to be the cutest man i've ever read about for real. i loved his humor and the subtle ways he looked after everly while on the show. their romance was too sweet!
overall this was such a great read- i was into it from the very beginning and i really enjoyed falling in love with the characters and the story!

When Everly is the focus of the next season of On the Plus Side (a makeover show), she falls into a surprising friendship with the grumpy but kind cameraman, Logan. When their growing connection is caught on camera, it sends the show’s ratings into a frenzy. Learning to embrace all of herself on national TV is hard enough; can Everly risk heartbreak with the whole world watching?

I enjoyed this a lot! I liked Everly and Logan and their connection. You should listen to the audiobook.

I read this book as an ARC for NetGalley.

Everly Winters is a plus-size young woman that likes to be in the background. When your mom is always trying to keep you quiet, keep you in dark colors, and diminish your accomplishments, you learn to stay unnoticed. This is why instead of doing her dream job - tattoo artist or a designer, she has remained at her job as a receptionist. Quiet and unassuming. However, that is all about to change. On the Plus Side, a reality show that takes women like Everly and shows them that life is not meant to be in the shadows - it is meant to live out loud!!

As the show progresses, Everly starts a friendship with the grumpy cameraman, Logan, who is quick to point out things that are not right. As the show/taping progresses, Everly realizes that the showrunner has her own agenda and is not listening to Everly. Can Everly stop this train from derailing and taking her dignity with it.

I loved this book - it should be a must read for everyone.

Plus size representation that's actually real and relatable. I love Jenny Howe's books so perhaps I'm biased, but this is my favorite of hers to date.

I enjoyed this book and what is stands for. It's nice and refreshing to have a plus-sized character who is confident in her own body and abilities and not wanting to change who she is. The fact that she could be a role model for women watching the show was very powerful. I really liked Everly's character as well as Logan's; I'm a sucker for a sunshine-grump pairing. I really like this author and will continue to read her books in the future.

I chose this book because I am plus size and was eager to see positive plus size representation in a book. I was so inspired by Everly's journey and she was such a relatable and real character. The book also gave insight into what really goes on on reality TV letting you know you can't believe everything you see on what is supposed to be reality TV. This was a fun and at times emotional read. Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I would like to thank NetGalley as well as St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eArc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Everly Winters has been conditioned to hide within the crowd. Never being too loud or noticeable to not draw unwanted attention to herself. She longs to be more expressive and comfortable with herself and when someone anonymously nominates her for her favorite reality TV show, she gets the chance of a lifetime. Not only do the amazing hosts become close confidants that she can lean on for support and help through her journey, but she also catches the attention of a certain cameraman who's more than meets the eye.

This book did a beautiful job of portraying the struggles of plus-sized characters and sometimes the harsh reality of having a parent who shames you as well. I think seeing this play out the dynamic between Everly and her mother was important and wonderful to see. I felt like the pacing was PERFECT and the romance was placed in all of the right places. Never too much, but also not too little to offset the target genre. The plot is everything and grasped me immediately and I'm grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read this. Whilst James and Sady were the absolute bane of my existence for obvious reasons, they helped Everly realize her worth and for that I'm grateful to them.

There is something incredibly affirming about having the pleasure of reading a book that represents the story of so many people-- both around me and in general. I love that Everly was able to find herself with the right amount of push and ended in an explosive, yet beautiful way. I loved the story and these characters so much and I am glad that the romance was more subtle so that the overall message of the book wasn't misconstrued. If you haven't read this beautiful book by now, you're truly missing out on something powerful.

I'm loving the plus size representation here!! Also, I'm usually very picky with the grumpy/sunshine trope, but it fit so well here. I loved Everly and Logan's chemistry. The writing was easy to follow and was fun, but had some serious moments. I'm glad Everly got to embrace who she really is and got to fall in love as well.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.